Julia Gillard became the 27th prime minister to have a tree in the Prime Ministers’ Corridor of Oaks in Faulconbridge on Thursday, July 27.
Ms Gillard planted her oak tree alongside Blue Mountains mayor Mark Greenhill in a well-attended ceremony at 11am.
“The oak trees have been planted by each prime minister or their closest living relative forming a living memorial to Sir Henry Parkes, known as the Father of Federation, and the federal prime ministers. It is a nationally recognised tradition,” said the mayor.
Ms Gillard stayed for about half an hour afterwards to pose for photos and chat to members of the public.
“When you are in the pressurised days of politics as prime minister you don’t get much time to just be outside in beautiful places in a contemplative mood thinking about the past, yet that is what this place invites us all to do,” Ms Gillard said.
“A corridor marking every prime ministership, a corridor that is inviting us to think about our nation’s national story and to think about who we are, who we were and how we’ve changed. To think about how leaders govern during times of war and times of peace, times of economic prosperity and times of hardship. Times when we felt we were leading the world and racing towards the future. Sometimes when we felt like we were a little bit adrift and perhaps fearful of what the future might hold. This corridor invites you to contemplate all of that.”
Ms Gillard said she spent a lot of time overseas, particularly in Washington with the public policy organisation the Brookings Institution, and said she would delight in showing them photos from today and saying that in Australia, “this is what we call a winter’s day. So if you get an influx of tourists from Washington in the months to come you will know what’s caused it.”
The first oak tree was planted on September 12, 1934 by the then Prime Minister, Joseph Lyons. The English Oak was chosen for its symbolic strength and long life span.